Denver Broncos: 5 players who could surprisingly be cut

1. Brett Rypien, QB

After the acquisition of Teddy Bridgewater the day before the 2021 NFL Draft, the possibility of Brett Rypien not being on the active 53-man roster to open the 2021 season increased at least a little bit.

Rypien emerged in the 2020 season as the backup to starter Drew Lock after some horrendous play from Jeff Driskel, and he remained in that spot following Driskel’s spot start against the eventual NFL champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rypien looked really good early on for the Denver Broncos in his start against the New York Jets, but along with the feast came some famine as Rypien threw three interceptions and nearly the victory in his first NFL start.

With Bridgewater in the fold, the Denver Broncos have two guys they would be planning on playing this season with Rypien as a clear and probably distant third option. Barring a long-term injury, Rypien’s value to the team may not be enough that he is kept around as a third quarterback.

You could easily make an argument against that, but without the same COVID protocols as last season, it’s not unreasonable to think that more NFL teams will go back to carrying just two quarterbacks.

Considering you already carry three “specialists” on every roster, having a third quarterback is somewhat of a luxury.

Rypien’s play in the preseason will dictate whether this is even possible, as teams will undoubtedly be trying to snatch him up on waivers if he plays well in the preseason.

Even so, this possibility remains, as surprising to some as it may be.